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Selected for the role of Pai in "Whale Rider" from among thousands of girls in an extensive school-wide search, Keisha Castle-Hughes could only say, “I was speechless!”
Only 11 when "Whale Rider" was made, and without professional experience, Keisha had nonetheless harbored secret dreams of becoming a film star. “All the people wore beautiful dresses and I wanted to be just like that. I’ve always been the performer in our family, putting on plays and dances.”
‘Beautiful dresses’ were not what Keisha got as Pai, the determined granddaughter of a stern, traditional Koro or grandpa. Those came later when she attended Whale Rider screenings at the Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Still, the filmmaking experience did not disappoint.
“It has been amazing,” she says. “The crew were fantastic - didn’t treat me like a kid, which was really cool. My tutor/chaperone Stephanie Wilkin and Niki Caro, the director, showed me how to find my feelings and how to talk properly. After a couple of weeks I just fell into the character. I didn’t need to look back on anything because I could feel the character so much.”
Born in Auckland, Keisha has three younger siblings and many interests, especially Kapa Haka (Maori cultural song and dance). She also likes rugby, netball and reading and lists math, English and Maori as favorite subjects. She has three different tribal affiliations: Ngati Porou, Tainui and Nga Puhi. The film was largely shot on the marae (plaza) of the Porou subtribe, Ngati Konohi.
“My family was with me for filming. That was pretty special, as my great granpop is from Tokomaru Bay, on the East Coast. So we reconnected with family from there.” Whale Rider was shot in the nearby village of Whangara.
As the star of a film receiving international acclaim, it is inevitable that the experience will impact Keisha’s life. Her naturalistic performance is totally convincing and the camera loves her. Because of the film’s great success in New Zealand, she is now a public personality. “I do get recognized when I’m out and about, and that can be really weird. But I haven’t let it change my life too much. I just like to do normal kid stuff.” |
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